


I Breathe You In Like You're The Stuff Of Stars

by troubledsouls



Category: Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M, Tyler's in some sort of psychiatric hospital and Josh works there, blurry is Tyler's twin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-05-16 06:12:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5817208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/troubledsouls/pseuds/troubledsouls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Um, so you're listed as harmless, so I'm gonna come in and give this to you, since, uh, I don't think you're gonna eat otherwise? I've got water, too.”</p><p>Or, everyone and everything has secrets and differences from the norm, but some are locked behind bars while others watch them, and nothing is what it appears to be at first glance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What is this??? Who knows

“You feeling alright?” It's a question Tyler's been asked before. He makes a noise in the affirmative, he always does. 

“They're bringing food soon, if you're hungry.”

Tyler makes another affirmative noise, eyes closed. 

“You gonna hide in the corner all day?”

Tyler pulls his knees tighter to his chest and makes the same noise.

“Alright.” A door opens, then closes, and footsteps walk away from Tyler's room. 

A little while later, footsteps return, and the door opens. 

“Hello?” It's a new voice. “You're Tyler, right?”

An affirmative noise. 

“Right. Uh, I brought your food, I'm gonna slide it through the… Oh.”

They must've seen the uneaten plate. 

“Um, so you're listed as harmless, so I'm gonna come in and give this to you, since, uh, I don't think you're gonna eat otherwise? I've got water, too.”

An affirmative noise.

“Alright.” There's the sound of a key turning in a lock, and then a door creaking open. Footsteps approach Tyler, and he cracks his eyes open to see the new person. 

They have hair shaved on the sides, longer on the top, and the longer stuff is dyed rainbow. 

He makes a noise of surprise before shutting his eyes again. 

“Um, I don't think we're supposed to tell the patients our names, but I'm Josh.” A gentle sound signifies that the plate has been set next to Tyler. “Do you, um, use your bed?”

A negative noise. Tyler gropes around for the water, refusing to open his eyes again. 

“Um.” A bottle is pressed into his hand. “This?”

An affirmative noise. Tyler twists the cap off and takes a drink. 

“Right. I'm gonna, uh, leave. I think I'm supposed to take you all your meals now, so, see you again?”

Affirmative noise as he twists the cap back on. 

“Right. Bye Tyler.” The inner door shuts, and then there's the sound of the outer door opening and closing again, and then Tyler is alone once more. 

He opens his eyes fully and sees the plate of food set only a foot in front of him. It's what's usually given, bread and some vegetables, stuff that's easy to eat with fingers. The plate is made of plastic. Can't risk patients hurting anyone, especially not themselves. 

Tyler picks up the bread and very shakily breaks it up into pieces. He eats them slowly, carefully, as if trying to make the food last as long as possible. 

After he finishes he stretches his legs out, joints groaning in protest, and moves the plate over to the small slot in the inner bars. 

He crawls back to his corner, sparing a glance to the bed in the opposite corner. It hasn't been slept in the whole year he's been here, except for the first few nights. He didn't have a choice then, though, because he'd been strapped to the bed until the staff could determine his status. 

He was harmless, always has been, always will be. 

He shuts his eyes when he hears footsteps again, and the outer door opens. 

“How'd you like the new recruit?”

Affirmative noise. 

“He's working with your brother, too.”

A low growl. 

“Did you take a look at him?”

Still a growl, but an affirmative one. 

“Did you like his hair?”

An affirmative noise that sounds very happy. 

“That's good. Um, Mark is coming to visit you in a couple hours. Since you're harmless, we're gonna let him into the inner room this time. The new recruit will be in the room as well.”

An affirmative noise. 

“Right. You ever gonna use your words with any of us?”

A very definite negative noise.

“Alright.” The person leaves. 

When the door opens again, it must be a couple hours later, because Tyler hears Marks voice. “Hey, Ty.”

Tyler's eyes shoot open and he smiles, eyes focusing on Mark. He tries very hard to not look at Josh. 

The inner door swings open and Mark runs in and hugs Tyler. “Man, I've been wanting to do this for a long time.”

Tyler extracts his arms and hugs Mark back, a smile still dancing on his lips. 

“How have you been doing? It's been a month, I think. They wouldn't let me see you.” Mark lets go of Tyler and moves to sit beside him. 

“Been okay.” Tyler's voice creaks from disuse. 

“I have so much to tell you. You know Nick Thomas, right? The bassist guy we were considering forming a band with?”

“Yeah.”

“He'd love to do it! He's got college stuff right now, but as soon as you get out, he's open for the possibility. He's not gonna drop out, but… As soon as all this is over.”

“Parents?”

Tyler can see Mark swallow nervously. “They still don't want anything to do with you.”

Tyler links a hand with one of Marks. “It's okay.”

“Right. So, for the band, you're gonna need a drummer, and Nick recommended this guy named Chris Salih? Dunno if he's okay with starting a band with someone who's been in here, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.”

“Yeah.” Tyler leans against Mark. “Thanks for looking for me.”

“Anything for you, bro. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Mark leaves a little while later, not by his own choice, and Tyler is left alone with Josh. 

“Blurry's your twin brother, right?” Josh asks. 

Tyler flinches. 

“Okay, I'm gonna take that as a yes. He's listed as highly dangerous. He tried to attack someone with a plate when he first came here.”

Tyler didn't know about that. 

“His irises are bright red. He's not albino. Um, his file said he got them modified.”

Tyler made a very quiet noise in the affirmative. 

“Your eyes are a nice color. You two are completely identical in every superficial way, um, that's what your files said. I don't know why anyone would want to change your eye color.”

Tyler didn't respond, only drew his knees tighter to his chest and shut his eyes. 

“Right, okay, touchy subject, I get it. I'll, um, leave, and I'll see you again next time I bring food, alright?”

An affirmative noise. 

A door was locked, and footsteps signified that Josh was walking away. 

Tyler looked up to stare at the bars that separated him from the rest of the room, from the door to the hallway that lead to the outside. 

He was left with his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

12:00 PM exactly is when Josh opens the door to Tyler's room to give him his lunch. He has 15 minutes until he has to deliver Blurry’s meal, then 15 after that for the next patient. 

He comes into work at 5:00 AM and leaves at 9:00 PM. He delivers breakfasts from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, lunches from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and dinners from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. He has 8 patients and delivers in 15 minute intervals. 

Josh likes his job. It is run entirely by numbers and schedules, neat and orderly. In the spaces of time when he is not delivering food he helps preparing it, or he checks on patients at specific times. He always knows what he is doing at every time. 

Except from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, which is considered socializing time. There is no structure there. 

Josh usually finds himself standing in a corner, akin to Tyler, not knowing what to do with himself. He had made some friends in the old wing he worked in, where he had done the exact same job at the exact same time, but he had been switched with someone called Ben. At least they did not change the times and jobs on his schedule. He was not sure if he could handle that. He could barely handle the switch anyways. 

Socializing time involved people from all wings, so a few of his friends said hello before leaving Josh on his own. They knew he was not one for social gatherings. 

“So. You're Josh.” A hand claps itself on his shoulder and Josh jumps. He whirls around to face someone he does not know. 

“I'm Pete. Tyler, Patrick, and Blurry's main supervisor. I do some other people too, but those three are the ones you know.” They hold out a hand, and Josh shakes it tentatively. 

“Sick hair.” Pete comments, after letting go of Josh's hand. 

“Thanks.” Josh is happy he is allowed to have it dyed here. It seems to captivate 1 of his patients, Patrick, who tries to touch his hair every time Josh gives him his meals. 

“Nothing is cooler than rainbows.” Pete leans against the wall next to Josh, and Josh is grateful that someone is going to be talking to him for the next 1 and ½ hours. 

“I couldn't decide on a color, so I dyed it all of them.” Josh is not very good at decisions. He likes other people to make them for him. “My friend Halsey did it for me.”

“Did a really good job.” Pete takes a sip from their cup. “Want anything to drink?”

“No.” Josh says. 

“It's not alcohol. We don't serve that here.” Pete assures Josh. 

“No thanks anyways.” Josh smiles tentatively. 

“Suit yourself.” Pete drains whatever is in his cup. “Everyone you work with is on the harmless spectrum, except for Blurry, correct? Dunno why they gave the new recruit him, but I guess since you switched schedules with someone, it makes sense.”

“Blurry and Tyler are twins, right? Their files say that. But they're here for different reasons.” Josh ran a hand through his hair. He could not imagine being a patient in this place. It must be incredibly boring. 

“You got that right. Blurry's here because of several murders that were chalked up to an extremely unstable mental state. I don't think he meant to kill all those people, but…” Pete sighs, leaning their head back against the wall. “He's kind of a sad case, once you think about it. Nobody's been able to talk to him for long enough to actually figure out his motives before he starts screaming.”

“And Tyler?”

“Tyler's here because… Well… We're actually not sure why he's here. He's autistic and selectively mute, we've determined that much, and he was put in here by his parents about a month after Blurry was. We don't have a reason to keep him, but we don't have one to discharge him, either. So he just stays there in the corner of his room.” Pete looks over at Josh. “They're both kinda sad cases, to be honest.”

“Oh.” Josh scratches at his cheek. He feels very slightly nervous, somehow. 

“Anyways, enough about sad things. Why do you work here?”

* * *

At precisely 11:30 Josh enters Patrick’s room. 

The short man looks up at him, and then breaks into a grin. Or, as best a grin as he can manage from the scars on his face. 

“Hey.” Josh speaks gently as he kneels down and slides the plate under the slot in the door. “How are you feeling?”

‘Joe is visiting today!’ Patrick's hands move quickly before he jumps up from the bed and sits down beside the food. ‘Your hair is still rainbow!’

“I think I'll redye it forever.” Josh adjusts his position to sit across from Patrick. He likes Patrick a lot. It is very important to not mention death around Patrick. 

‘Please!’ Patrick signs excitedly before shoving his food into his mouth. 

Josh pushes a bottle of water through the slot and takes Patrick’s excited eating as a cue to leave. He stands up and leaves Patrick's room. 

At 11:45 Josh enters Jack’s cell. 

“Hey. Hey!” As soon as the door opens, Jack is up and pressing himself against the bars. “Do I get out yet? Huh? Huh?” Faded green hair is plastered against his face. He looks like he has not showered in weeks, which is probably true. 

Josh does not respond, because responding only riles Jack up more. In fact, anyone simply entering his room tends to send him into a screaming fit after a few minutes. 

Josh simply pushes the place of food through the slot and turns to leave. 

“Come on, ya gotta give me something here!” Jack tries to reach through the bars. “DON’T LEAVE ME HERE! PLEASE!”

Josh feels chills run down his spine as the door swings shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> U get an Internet cookie if u know who jack is based off of


	3. Chapter 3

Tyler has just gotten out of the shower when he hears Josh calling his name. 

He wraps a towel around his waist and opened the door, poking his head out and shutting his eyes. 

“Oh. I'm, um, gonna leave the food here, then.” Tyler hears the sound of plastic being pushed across the floor, and then footsteps leaving and a door swinging shut. 

Tyler opens his eyes and retreats back into the bathroom. He undoes the towel and dries off his hair first, before methodically and slowly drying the rest of his body until there's no water drops left clinging to him. 

He pulls back on his dirty clothes (he never sends for clean ones) and hangs up the towel. 

When he steps back into his room, Josh is sitting on the floor in the outer room. Tyler allows his eyes to rake over Josh's rainbow hair before his eyes fly shut. 

“Hey. Um. You took a long time to dry off.” Josh says. 

Tyler fumbles along the wall and collapses into his corner. He makes an affirmative noise. 

“Um, so you know there's cameras, like, everywhere, right?”

A rather disgruntled affirmative noise. 

“Um, it gets deleted after 24 hours, but, um, on your file, it says you're constantly in that corner when you could be on the bed.”

An affirmative noise. 

“Can I ask why?”

Tyler opens his eyes and stares at Josh, finally allowing himself to take in the others features. 

Bright rainbow hair, the red section dusting across their forehead before being blocked off into orange, then yellow, then green, then blue, then purple. That's only on the top, though, the sides are shaved and expose the natural brown. 

Their eyes meet, brown against brown, but Josh's seem very slightly lighter. 

Tyler shuts his eyes again. 

“Alright.” There's the soft sound of Josh standing up. “I’ll wait until you're ready to talk to me, if at all.”

Tyler makes an affirmative noise, and then Josh is leaving and the outer door is swinging shut. 

Tyler is alone. 

He's fine with being alone, really, he's just worried more about his twin brother. Blurry's never been good on his own. 

Blurry and Tyler didn't get along as well as identical twins should. They had different friend circles. 

Tyler wished he had been closer to Blurry, sometimes, but most of the time he didn't wish that. 

Blurry wasn't his real name, but a nickname everyone called him. It suited him, anyways. 

Tyler sometimes saw Blurry’s red eyes glinting at him in darkness when he slept (or tried to), accompanied with a stabbing pain that he couldn't place. 

It was why he didn't want to use his bed. 

The door swung open, and then shut. 

“Hello, Tyler.”

Tyler hugs his knees closer to his chest. 

“You feeling alright?”

Affirmative noise. 

“Now, I think we should talk about the possibility of you being released.”

No response. 

They sigh. “I don't think you have anywhere to go, once you're released. You have no money, no job, and it'll be difficult to get a job because, well, I think you know.”

Affirmative noise.

“So, we've been considering housing you with someone who works here, if you're released.”

A tentative affirmative noise. 

“I'm gonna take that as a you're okay with it?”

No response. Tyler digs his nails into his legs. 

“Okay. I'll let you think about it. You gonna eat?”

Yet again, no response. 

“Right. Okay.”

The footsteps leave and the outer door swings shut. 

An indeterminate amount of time passes. Tyler never bothered to try and count the hours, like so many others did. He never asked for a clock, or a calendar, or anything like that. He doesn't care about time. 

He doesn't care about much, in fact. 

But he does like Josh's rainbow hair. It’s a contrast to what he normally saw. White, black, gray, and the sickly paleness of his own skin. 

Rainbows were good. He likes rainbows. 

He also sees the backs of his eyelids, but that was mostly when anyone except Mark was in the room. Tyler liked Mark. He'd marry Mark, platonically, because there were a lot of benefits to marrying someone. He loves Mark, but as a friend, which always earned him eyebrow wiggles from Jack. 

Jack and his group of friends were really annoying, but at least they liked Tyler and included him in things. Not a lot of people did either of those. 

Not a lot of people were even decent to Tyler. He usually got insults spat at him, got laughed at by people who didn't know him (and it wasn't because of a joke. Tyler loved making people laugh, but only with silly things. He himself was not a joke), and was excluded from things that involved other people. 

There was also a guy named Spencer who was nice to him. Spencer was quiet, like him, and fidgeted constantly. Spencer was full of quiet smiles and whispered encouragements. Spencer was Tyler’s second best friend, next to Mark. 

He’s interrupted from his scattered thoughts by a door opening and a throat clearing. 

An unfamiliar voice speaks. “Your name is Tyler, correct?”

Tyler watches the backs of his eyelids and made an affirmative noise. 

“I'm taking a survey on people in here.”

Affirmative noise. 

“Now, all of my questions are yes or no. I know you can't talk, so…”

Affirmative noise. 

“Alright. Are you comfortable in your stay here?”

No response. 

A sigh. “Are there things you'd like to be improved?”

Affirmative noise. 

On it went, no specifics, just yes or no questions that Tyler wishes he could expand on. He keeps his eyes shut tight, and about halfway through the survey, begins to rock back and forth. 

He doesn't register any goodbye, only the fact that footsteps recede and the outer door closes. 

He opens his eyes and takes in the white and gray room. 

Maybe he'd take a shower again, just to pass the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im gonna put little things in this story for people to pick up on :3c   
> there's something in this chapter...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A taste of Josh and his patients.

Josh arrives at work at exactly 5:00 AM because that is when he needs to be there. He is very precise with his schedule. He is never late.

“Sup, Josh?” Pete arrives to work 15 minutes late with their eyeliner smudged and their hair unstraightened.

“Hi, Pete.” Josh says, carefully organizing the personnel files in alphabetical order for what may be the hundredth time since he has been working in this wing. He does not have much to do in the two hours before he delivers meals, so he occupies himself. At least, that is how he percieves it.

Pete yawns widely, not even bothering to cover up their mouth. “Want some coffee?”

“Yes, please. No cream or sugar.” Josh responds.

“Weirdo.” Pete mutters to themself before leaving to go get coffee.

Josh is so absorbed in his organizing that he does not notice Pete has come back until he is tapped on the shoulder.

“Got your coffee.” Pete says, holding out the cup.

Josh takes it and sets it down next to him, before turning back to the task he has set himself.

When he looks up, it is 6:00 AM and his coffee is cold.

* * *

At 7:00 AM Josh pushes open a door with a plate in his hand.

Gabriel appears to be still asleep, so Josh kneels down and pushes the plate through the slot in the bars.

“Hey.” Gabriel speaks, and Josh would be startled, but he is used to patients doing sudden things.

“Hello.” Josh says.

“You know, locking people up to go crazy with their own heads isn’t a good way to fix them.” Gabriel speaks as though it is a casual conversation, as though he and Josh have been friends for years, and the topic is something they have discussed many, many times.

“I didn’t make this place.” Josh stands up, and looks at the figure on the bed. Gabriel has not moved since he entered. One arm is still dangling to the floor, his eyes are still closed, his breathing is still even, as if he is asleep.

“You work here. You can change it.” Gabriel’s eyes open, and Josh sees that they are filled with tears. “I miss Bilvy.”

“I’m sorry.” Josh does not let his voice break.

“Empty words.” Gabriel closes his eyes and then stills.

Josh leaves after a minute of silence.

At 7:15, he enters William’s room.

William looks like he has not slept in days, and he does not stop his pacing when Josh enters.

Josh pushes the plate through the slot and is about to leave when William speaks.

“Do you have anything on Gabe yet?” He sounds desperate.

“No.” Josh says, accompanied by a shake of his head.

“Right, right. Tell me when you do, okay?” William has not even looked up at Josh. His eyes stay locked on the floor in front of his feet.

“Yes.” Josh says, and then leaves.

At 7:30, Patrick is still as infatuated with Josh’s rainbow hair, and his hands move so quickly that Josh almost can not keep up with what he is saying.

At 7:45, Jack is quiet for a change, only accepting his food with a small nod. He looks like he has showered, and his eyes are bloodshot as if he has been crying.

At 8:00, Josh enters Tyler’s room.

Tyler is in the same corner as usual, but his legs are not pulled up to his chest. Tyler is stretched out, lying on the floor with his feet against the wall and his arms stretched up above his head.

“Hello.” Josh says, taking the uneaten plate and pushing a fresh one through.

Tyler makes a noise that Josh thinks is positive, but he is never really sure.

“You gonna eat?” Josh likes Tyler. Tyler is his second favorite, because Patrick is the first.

Josh thinks that Tyler’s noise is negative.

“Should I come in again?”

Tyler’s eyes open and he looks over at Josh. Their eyes meet for a couple seconds before Tyler’s break away.

“Should I take that as a no?”

Tyler does not respond, and Josh is worried.

“Alright.” Josh leaves as Tyler’s eyes flutter closed.

At 8:15 Josh nervously pushes open the door to Blurry’s room. He knows Blurry’s real name, but Blurry hates it when he is called that.

Red eyes bore into Josh’s own, as if they are trying to smash in his skull.

A smooth, low voice fills the room. “So. You haven’t requested that someone else deliver for me.” Blurry is crouched on his bed, much like an animal.

“You don’t scare me.” Josh is a filthy liar.

“I should.” Blurry jumps off the bed and lands on his feet, torso hunched over but head up. His eyes look like they could shoot daggers, and Josh would not be surprised if they started to.

“I have your food.” Josh pushes the food and a water bottle across the floor. Blurry does not get a plate.

Blurry seems to consider Josh, before walking up to the bars and reaching a hand through them. Josh takes a step back. His hands are shaking.

“Tell me, how is my dear brother?” Blurry smirks as he talks. “I know he’s in here.”

Josh feels chills run down his spine. “He’s fine.”

“If you say so.” Blurry stares at Josh as if Josh is a rare animal, one that Blurry would like to have killed and stuffed to place in a room full of trophies.

Josh backs out of the room and almost sprints down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title in my google doc is "I breathe you in like you're the stuff of stars (and i can't believe how we made it this far)" so make of that what you will


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An insight of blurry.

The rainbow one is afraid of Blurry. 

Good. Good. Good good good good goodgoodgoodgood.

Everyone should be afraid of him. Everyone. EvErYoNe Do YoU hEaR??

Does anyone hear?

He knows the rooms are soundproof, that no one can hear him scream his lungs out at nothing. 

He is Blurry, his name is Blurry because everything melts and drips around him and blurs into everything else. 

There are shadows with red eyes watching him, he knows it, even though they put something into his food so that he can't see them anymore. 

hE cHaNgEd HiS eYeS sO tHeY wOuLd LiKe HiM!!

They do not like him anyways. 

He doesn't know why he tries. 

He sits and eats what's on the floor like an animal, disgusting **disgustingdisgustingdisgusting _do you hear them call your name? calling like the darkness that consumes you? ~~monster~~_**

He is no monster. 

**do you remember what you have done to your brother? _do you remember how you-_**

“SHUT UP!” Blurry screams. 

The psychiatrists have told him that he hears voices, but he does not he doesn't they are his voice his voice hisvoicehisvoice. 

Taunting him. 

**tell the psychiatrist something is wrong _over the bend, entirely bonkers you like me best when I'm off my rocker ~~tell you a secret, I'm not alarmed~~_**

“So what if I'm crazy, the best people are.” Blurry finishes in a sing-song tone, and smiles. 

He can live with himself. He can live with himself taunting him. It doesn't sound in his ears. It's just up in his brain. 

He didn't mean to kill anyone. 

**oh really? _oh really? oh really? ~~oh really?~~_**

“Yes, really. It was an accident.” He stands up and rubs his eyes. 

**it didn't seem like that at the time**

“Well, it was an accident. I can't stop that.”

**_murder is not an accident._ **

“It was for me.”

**_ they deemed you psychotic _ **

“Well, I'm not. I'm perfectly fine. I just accidentally killed some people.”

**_ ~~you are. you're not fine. murder is not an accident~~ _ **

“Blurry?”

Blurry whips his head around to stare at the newcomer. It's his supervisor. He wants to know their name. 

“Who are you talking to?”

“Myself.” Blurry crosses his arms. 

**how _what where ~~why?~~_**

“You need to stop that.”

“NO!” Blurry shouts. He doesn't not want to go crazy here he will nOt He WiLl NoT. 

His supervisor raises their arms as if to show they're not threatening. “Just a suggestion.”

“I do not want to be alone!” Alone is bad bad badbadbad **badbadbadbad _do you rememberwhat youhavedone toyour brother because youwereso ~~alone?~~_**

Blurry lunges to the bars and presses himself against them, reaching an arm through and swiping at his supervisor. 

They step back, shock appearing on their face for only a few moments. “Do not attack me.”

Blurry retracts his arm and steps back to glare. “I don't belong in here.”

**in movies, doesn't _the craziest one always end up ~~saying that?~~_**

“Thank you for your input.” Blurry turns away from his supervisor. 

They watch him twitch for a few more minutes before leaving. 

“I don't belong here.” Blurry says once he's sure his supervisor is gone. 

**the craziest one _always says that. don't be a ~~stereotype, dear.~~_**

“I'm not crazy.” Blurry protests. 

**su _re, de ~~ar~~_**

“Okay. I'm not as crazy as people think I am.” Blurry begins to pace in a diagonal across the room, from one corner to the other. 

**that's better. _it's good that you accept what you are. and you're not that crazy compared to others, if that helps. ~~but you still belong in here.~~_**

“Stop saying I'm crazy. I'm not.”

**you're talking to yourself, aren't you? _to the voices in your head. in all the movies isn't that a mark of a crazy person? ~~so, you're crazy.~~_**

“Movies aren't a marker of real life. Real life is very different from movies. And I'm not talking to the voices in my head, I'm talking to myself.”

**we don't believe what's on tv _because it's what we want to see and what we want we know we can't believe ~~we have all learned to kill our dreams~~_**

“I need to know, that when I fail you'll still be here.” Blurry gets lost in the words, and then growls. “Don't use my brothers words against me.”

**but you love him, blurry. _you love him so, so much. do you remember what-_**

“Yes, I remember. Stop reminding me.”

**you're _a bad ~~person~~_**

“I know.”

He doesn't get a reply. 

Blurry turns to the bathroom and goes in, quickly stripping off his clothes and stepping into the shower. There's never any warm water, only cold, which isn't fun. Maybe there's hot water for other inmates. Blurry wouldn't know. 

He deserves the cold water, though. Deserves it because he's hUrT pEoPlE wHaT kInD oF mOnStEr Is He????

He has hurt his brother. 

“I'm sorry.” Blurry mumbles. 

**sorry doesn't fix everything. _what you have done is irreversible. sorry doesn't make people come back to life. ~~sorry doesn't undo what you have done~~_**

Blurry slams his palm against the wall, anger flaring up. “I KNOW THAT!”

He has hUrT eVeRyOnE hE hAs EvEr LoVeD. 

**and what _way did you love ~~your brother?~~_**

Blurry’s forehead falls against the wall, and his entire form seems to slump. “I… I'm sorry.”

**sorry _doesn't fix ~~everything~~_**

“I know… I know…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as long as I wanted it to be. 
> 
> Honestly not sure what his perspective ended up? I was trying to convey something but I'm not sure if I did it right.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we are back to everyone's favorite patient, Tyler.

Tyler wakes up enveloped in something warm and soft. 

Upon further inspection, he's on the bed in his room. 

He knows he fell asleep in the corner. 

Someone must've put him into the bed. 

It's comfortable, and he has no desire to get up, until red eyes catch the light in the corner of his vision. 

In a flash he throws the covers off and dashes over to the corner, and as soon as he's there he curls himself up as small and as tightly as is humanly possible, fingers digging into his scalp. 

He begins to rock, and then he begins to scream. 

It's a long, pain filled sound, more similar to a wail, and he only pauses for breath. 

It's like he's calling for help that he doesn't expect to come. 

His back slams against the wall every time his body lurches backwards, and he's vaguely aware that his breathing is faster than normal, but red eyes are glinting in the light and he thought he was safe. 

He screams and screams and screams and no one comes to check on him. 

Is anyone even able to hear him?

He doesn't know. 

Only Blurry can hear him scream and cry, only Blurry can feel him twist and turn. 

Eventually his wails turn into sobs that make his whole body shudder 

with their force, and then those turn to whimpers, and then he falls silent with tears still streaming from his eyes. 

He lies down on the floor and falls into sleep. 

When he wakes up, someone is standing in the outer room. 

“How are you?”

Tyler doesn't respond, just curls up into a ball. 

“You panicked earlier.”

Still no response. 

“Why?”

Silence. 

“If it happens again, we might have to give you something for it.”

A high-pitched whine in response. 

“I'm going to assume that's a no.”

Tyler pulls his knees closer to his chest. 

“You could at least respond to me. I know you're awake.”

Tyler doesn't respond. 

“I apologize for whoever brings you your food. He shouldn't have moved you. He shouldn't have even touched you.”

Oh. He. Alright. That's information Tyler can work with. 

“Please respond.”

Tyler doesn't. 

They sigh. “Alright, you don't want to respond.” The outer door opens, and then they are gone. 

Tyler stares at the wall across from him. 

He knows Blurry’s in here. Blurry's the reason Tyler in here in the first place. 

His twin. 

He doesn't know how to feel about Blurry. 

He knows that he should get along with Blurry, because after all, they are brothers. Twins. Identical twins. 

But Blurry is too much of a bad boy stereotype and Tyler is too introverted. Such opposites. 

Blurry was older by seventeen minutes. Maybe that's why they were so different. Seventeen. Tyler remembers Zack not liking the number seventeen. Zack had cried when he turned seventeen. 

Tyler least favorite number was thirty four. It was how old his mom had been when he and Blurry were born. 

Tyler didn't wish he hadn't been born, he just wished Blurry hadn't been born. Or that he had been better at getting to know Blurry. 

He looks over at the plate of food by the bars, and his stomach growls at him. 

He gets into his hands and knees and crawls over to the bars, leaning back against them once he's there. Just the simple movement feels exhausting. 

He eats slowly, breaking everything up into little pieces before chewing them slowly. He knows eating slowly makes him feel fuller, and he's almost always hungry here. Best to make anything last as long as possible. 

Tyler misses his home. He's rarely able to see Mark, and Mark is the only contact with anyone beside the staff that's he's had with the outside world. 

Tyler just wants to go home. 

He truly doesn't belong here. His parents sent him here because they were afraid he was like Blurry. Couldn't even wait a week after Blurry was admitted to send Tyler there. 

Tyler thinks a year has passed since he's been admitted. Mark said so, at least. 

Tyler was twenty-one years old now, if it had truly been about a year. 

He finishes eating. 

He doesn't really feel like moving back to his corner. He's still tired from crying. It's uncomfortable, with the bars settled on either side of his spine, but he's not complaining. He likes the uncomfortableness, in a way.

It’s quiet, until he can hear the blood rushing in his ears at a steady pace. He’s calm now. 

He wants to go home.

That’s a lie. Home is where Blurry is.

He wants to leave this place, at the very least.

Maybe Mark would take him in as a roommate and help him with his band.

That would be nice.

Tyler’s always wanted to start a band. He loves singing, and he can play piano and ukulele and can work a computer enough to put all the tracks together. He just needs drums, and maybe a bass player.

Also, he needs to get out of here.

He’s not sure where his sudden want to leave is coming from. Maybe from the fact Mark told him Nick is on board.

Tyler knows he can start a band.

He’s not sure what the band is going to be called, but he knows that his future self will come up with an amazing band name.

He might as well start thinking. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to leave any time soon.

He hears the door creak open, and turns his head to see someone new carrying his food.

“Hello Tyler.” Their hair is dark, and curls around their head in an afro.

Tyler blinks.

They sound condescending.

He doesn’t like them at all, he decides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made blurry a playlist that is 3/8ths mashups and 1/2 top whoops
> 
> i guess u have to copy and paste the linkity link whoops 
> 
> 8tracks.com/minecraftwarcat/dripping-and-blurred


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING** a character speaks slightly graphically about gore and cannibalism. If this disturbs you, skip to the break in the chapter and read after that, and leave a comment below that you skipped it if you'd like that part summarized

Josh had to switch his Tyler block with Ashley. 

He is internally beating himself up, because how could he have been so stupid? He knows the workers are not supposed to touch the patients, but he picked up Tyler and put him on his bed anyways.

He did not want Tyler to sleep on the cold floor. Tyler would get sick, or wake up sore, because the floor is not very comfortable to sleep on. Josh knows this from experience. 

So now, in place of Tyler, he is assigned to Lynn. 

Lynn is facing the door when he opens it at 7:00, eyes wide and staring. 

Ashley had warned Josh that Lynn did not seem to blink. 

“Where's the other one?” Lynn’s voice is whispy and quiet. 

“We switched.” Josh says, pushing the plate of food through the slot in the bars. 

Lynn stares at him, eyes bloodshot with deep, dark bags underneath. “I don't like that. Tell her to come back.”

“Can’t, sorry.” Josh feels bad, and internally kicks himself again for messing up so badly as to touch Tyler. 

“I don't like that. Tell her to come back.” Lynn seems to float over to the plate. She sits down before returning her attention to Josh. “I don't like that. Tell her to come back.”

Josh slowly backs to the door. 

“Please, please, please, please, please.” Lynn mutters the word over and over as Josh leaves, watching the door swing shut. 

He shudders. 

At 7:15, he enters Blurry's room. 

Blurry is strapped down to the bed, red eyes open and staring at the ceiling. They flick to Josh as he enters. 

“Good to see you, pretty boy.” His words are drawn out in a sing-song tone. 

Josh sees stitches in the side of his head and bandages over his hands. 

“You're gonna have to feed me, pretty boy.” Blurry giggles after that, honestly giggles, and Josh feels cold lines creep down his spine. “But be careful! I might bite your fingers off.” Blurry snaps his teeth together and laughs. 

Josh pulls out his keys and unlocks the inner door, pushing it open slowly. “If you do that, you're going to be sedated.”

“Small price to pay for a taste of your blood, pretty pretty _pretty_ boy.” Blurry giggles again and Josh's hands begin to shake. “A taste of your blood and flesh and bone!”

“Stop, or I won't feed you.” Josh carefully approaches Blurry, finding comfort in the fact that Blurry is firmly secured to his bed. 

“Aw, pretty boy.” Blurry pouts and looks pleadingly at Josh. It would be a lot more convincing and cute if Blurry's eyes were not red, if they did not contain a coldness that did not match the expression. “Isn't that not following your job rules?”

“I'm allowed to not follow them if I'm concerned for my safety.” Josh’s eyes meet Blurry’s. 

“Why don't you untie me and I'll eat all by myself! I'll eat you first, of course, maybe overpower you and tie you down. I'll take my time with you, slicing open your stomach, lap up your blood. Maybe look through your organs and pick some. I'll make you watch me take huge bites!” Blurry is grinning too wide, eyes manic. “And nobody will hear you scream! And nobody will come for you because nobody watches the cameras! And I'll have you all to myself, pretty boy!”

Josh begins to back away from Blurry, shaking violently. “Stop, stop please…”

“Come on, pretty boy! Untie me, and even though you'll die, your last moments will be wonderful! Maybe I'll fuck you before you die, make you feel good before I bite your dick off and eat it! You've got to love gore, pretty boy, you've got to got to GOT TO GOT TO!”

Josh is at the door, back pressed against it. His words are caught in his throat. 

Blurry strains up against the straps holding him down, red eyes wild. “Come on, Joshie, come on come on COME ON!”

Josh flings open the door and slams it behind him, leaning against it and struggling to take deep breaths. 

His stomach feels like there is a long slice across it, cutting him open and exposing his insides for anyone to mess with. 

When he pulls up his shirt to check, there is nothing there. 

Josh slides his right foot off a line in the tiles.

* * *

“So, you're the guy I switched with.”

Josh nearly jumps at the sound of Ashley's voice, pausing in his self-set task of arranging the plates in rainbow order. 

“What're you doing?” She leans against the counter, brushing a few free strands of hair out of her face. 

“Organizing.” Josh's hands are still shaking slightly from his encounter with Blurry.

“Why?” She picks up a green plate and puts in on the red pile. 

In a flash, Josh grabs it and puts it back on the green, where it belongs. 

“Wow, OCD much?” Ashley laughs, beginning to switch around the colors. 

“Stop.” Josh smacks her hands away and gets all the plates back into their order. “And don't you think it's wrong to make those kinds of jokes-”

“When I work in what's basically a mental facility? Yeah, yeah. Pete's given me the lecture.” Ashley smirks, staring at the plates as if trying to decide whether she should fuck with Josh some more. “He can go fuck himself.”

“They.” Josh corrects.

“They, right, sorry.” She rolls her eyes, her tone conveying that she is not sorry at all. “They present male, so I don't understand why they want to be a special snowflake.”

Josh does not respond, just starts laying the plates out in rows of rainbow order instead of stacks. 

“Nice hair.” Ashley runs her hand through Josh's hair. He flinches. “Aw, what's the matter?” She sticks out her lower lip in a pout. 

“Don't touch my hair, please.” Josh feels like his hands are itching. 

“Fine, OCD man.” Ashley rolls her eyes and walks off. 

Josh still has not stopped shaking by the time he has to deliver lunch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, with the one everyone loves.

ha hA HA. 

**you scared him. _you need to learn to calm down. you cannot just say things like that to people. ~~you monster.~~_**

“But he's so pretty! So so so pretty! And he likes my brother better my brother my brother is awful!” Blurry strains up against the straps holding him down, but they're too tight. There's even one across his forehead, so he can't bang his head. “LET ME GO! I CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!”

**you punched the walls and screamed like a madman. _you slammed your head against the wall multiple times in an attempt to split it open. when they came to restrain you, you tried to scratch their eyes out and kept screaming about how much you wanted to kill. ~~do you think they're going to let you go anytime soon?~~_**

My PeOpLe SiNgInG

“NO! I’M GOOD I’M SAFE I CAN PROVE IT!” Tears begin to fill his eyes. 

**you wanted to eat Josh. _tell me, is that safe? cannibalism because you love him so much? ~~monster.~~_**

Blurry pants heavily, breath coming in loud ‘haahh’ sounds. He doesn't respond. 

**and now you don't have your medicine. _do you know what will happen?_**

“Please… PLEASE!” He tries to pull his head up so he can slam it back down, but he can't move. 

**_ they will come, and they will taunt you. ~~maybe, if you're lucky, they'll suffocate you.~~ _ **

His eyes fall closed. “I didn't ask for any of this.” Something catches in his throat and he struggles to breathe past it. 

**YOU WILL TAKE WHAT YOU GET _DO YOU UNDERSTAND? ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT. ~~EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE IS YOUR FAULT.~~_**

Blurry screams and screams and screams. 

He's gasping in air, broken sobs and shrieks filling the room when the door opens. 

“Blurry?” 

He falls almost silent, gasping in air and pushing it out. 

“Are you okay?”

He's not okay wHy WoUlD hE eVeR bE oKaY??????

“You're not going to eat today, as punishment. You do not act that way towards anyone.”

tHeY aRe CoMiNg ThEy ArE cOmING!!!!!!!!!!

“Is that understood.”

A soft sob escapes Blurry. 

“Alright.” 

The door shuts. 

Blurry begins to twist his body from side to side, crying starting up again, tears soaking into the already wet pillow. He manages to get his head out of the strap and begins to bang it back against the pillow. His voice is too wrecked to scream. 

**stop that. _you're accomplishing nothing. you're just going to get strapped down more. ~~maybe even sedated.~~_**

He doesn't stop. 

**why _aren’t you ~~listening?~~_**

Blurry doesn't notice the door open, but he does notice someone press his head down against the pillow, he does notice a needle go into his arm, and he does notice the world fade away to black. 

When he wakes up, he's strapped down again, this time tighter. 

**told _you so_**

Blurry just breathes in response. 

**_ ~~listen to me.~~ _ **

Still no response. Blurry realizes what he's doing is like Tyler. 

TyLeR

**what rhymes with brother? _do you remember remember remember? brother brother brother or ~~lo-~~_**

“No.” Blurry croaks out, voice grating. His throat hurts. 

**deny, _deny, deni ~~al~~_**

He's exhausted. He just wants to sleep. Real sleep, not the fakeness of the sedative. 

**fifth time, huh? _what would you do if your brother was here? you'd have to be constantly sedated and restrained ~~otherwise you just might-~~_**

“Shut up.” Blurry says through gritted teeth. Every bit of his body is tired from crying. 

**m _m m ~~m~~_**

“Tell Tyler I'm sorry.”

ha ha ha ha hA HA HA HA HA

**do _it your ~~self~~_**

“I can't.” Blurry relaxes into the mattress. Someone had the decency to put the blanket over him. It's not held down by the straps. His body is. 

coming coming cOmInG cOmING

**that's right.**

“Do you think he'll forgive me?”

**_never._ **

“Okay.”

**_ you're so accepting of that. _ **

“Because I love him. And I damaged him.”

**_ ~~you don't love him, don't lie to yourself.~~ _ **

“I do, I do love him.”

**you only love _him because he was your pliant, ~~breathing, alive, fucktoy.~~_**

“That's, no, that's not true, shut up, shut up!”

**it's _the truth, ~~j-~~_**

“Don't use my real name. It's Blurry. I'm blurry.”

**you know _what you ~~are?~~_**

“Tell me.”

**a _mon st ~~er~~_**

“Okay.”

He falls asleep, and when he wakes, someone that is not his supervisor is staring over him. 

He has a gag in his mouth. 

“Hello. I understand that you do not like to be called your real name.” Their eyes are black. 

Blurry makes a motion of his head that's the best nod he can do. 

“The reason this is in,” They jab their finger at the gag, “is so that you don't cause any trouble while I'm talking.”

Another almost nod from Blurry. His tongue pokes at the gag, and finds it to be made of cloth, but very strong cloth. He's pretty sure it's tied behind his head. 

He growls, glaring up at them. 

They roll their eyes. “Don't be like that. I'm the owner and the head of this place. Do you know what this place is?”

Blurry doesn't respond, just glaring the best he can. 

The heel of their hand slams into Blurry's stomach and the noise of pain he makes is muffled by the gag. His eyes fill with tears, and he blinks then away as best he can. 

“You're going to answer when I speak to you, understand?”

Blurry nods frantically. 

“Then answer my earlier question. Do you know what this place is?”

Blurry can't think, but automatically shakes his head just to respond. 

**you _dese rved ~~that~~_**

Blurry whines. 

“Hmm. So even through all the rumors, all the stories, and even through time here, not even the inmates know what this place is.”

The word inmates lodges itself into Blurry’s brain. 

“Good.” They turn away from Blurry. 

Right before they open the outer door, they turn back to look at Blurry, smirk, and then leave. 

Blurry tries to bite through the gag. 

**you do know that's not going to work? _you're trapped here, tied up like an animal for the slaughter. if only you could control yourself. ~~if only you could control yourself around Josh.~~_**

Blurry wonders how he know Josh's name, because it was his own thoughts that told him. 

**hey _blurry, they're ~~here~~_**

Blurry strains against his bonds and screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any perspective you guys would be interested in seeing?
> 
> Also, @ those people who guessed what blurry did: doop boop MENTIONED IT EXPLICITLY


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sense of identity is important, is it not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> saratza requested Patrick's POV. 
> 
> Had a lot of fun.

Blinks and looks up as someone enters. It's the one with the rainbow hair. Likes them very much. Likes their hair very much, mostly. 

They sit down and slide food through. Crawl up and sit beside the plate, begin to take bites. 

They ask how is today. 

Stuffs rest of food in mouth, signs quickly and excitedly. Better now that they are here. Asks how their day is. 

They smile and say their day could be better. 

Frowns. Reaches up to the bars to point at their hair. Asks if that makes everything brighter and better. 

They laugh a little, grinning, and say that yes, it does. 

Smiles back. Says it brightens up day whenever they come, because of their hair. 

They still grin, and stand up. They say they'll see tomorrow. 

Waves as they turn to leave. 

Is now alone. 

Finishes food quickly, because is hungry. Knows that eating quickly won't help stay full, but doesn't care. Is really hungry. 

After all food is gone, takes a sip of water. Likes to keep the water for when is awake. Gets thirsty easily. 

Stands up and stretches, raising arms and bending backwards. Feels better once straightens out. Feels more awake, even though has been awake for what's probably been 3 hours. 

Needs to take shower, so heads over to bathroom. As soon as closes door, looks up at the camera in the corner or the room. Doesn't want to take clothes off. Doesn't want to be watched. 

Catches sight of face in mirror and winces. Too many scars, especially over neck. Has scars all over body. Is ugly. 

Turns on water and steps into shower while the water is still cold. Is still wearing clothes, so they almost immediately become soaked and heavy. 

Stands in spray as it warms up, situating shirt so continues to cover collarbone. The shirt is long-sleeved, to cover up heavy scarring on arms. 

Grabs bottle of shampoo and squeezes some onto hand before beginning to rub through hair. Likes to stay clean. Likes to stay healthy. 

Stares at the camera in the corner. Doesn't like being watched at all. It's a little bit freaky, how they have cameras where could be naked. 

Rinses out hair and continues to stand under water. Stares right into camera and hardly blinks. Can't see too well, but is pretty sure is looking straight at the camera. Might be creepy for whoever was on the other side, watching the video footage. 

Stays that way, unmoving except for breathing and occasional blinks. Water isn't hitting face, so is easy. 

After a long while, turns off water and pulls off soaking clothes quickly before wrapping towel around waist. Finds new clothes, pulls them on as fast as can. Long sleeves, pants. Just what likes. 

Turns head uncomfortably to stare at camera again. Doesn't blink for minutes. Likes being creepy, gives some sense of control in a place where has none. 

Eventually exits the bathroom, taking care not to look in the mirror. Doesn't like face. Has too many scars, over eyes and cheeks and neck. Scars over eyes makes it hard to see. 

The supervisor is standing outside the bars. They say hello. 

Signs hello back, bouncing over to them and smiling. 

They ask how am. 

Signs that feels great, and is waiting for rainbow hair to come back. 

They say was staring at cameras again. Say not to do that. 

Pouts, makes eyes wide and shiny and appealing. Signs that likes to, signs that there's nothing else to do. 

They say that need to stop because it scares people, and that people don't like to be scared. 

Pouts more and frowns, signs that people shouldn't find scary, that isn't scary at all. Makes expression match the fact that is not scary. 

They sigh, and say that why they find scary and creepy is a mix of the scars and the not blinking. 

Becomes confused, raises hand to touch scars on face. Runs fingers over ridges across eyes and mouth and cheeks. Fingers travel down jaw to neck, to place over neck where vocal chords were destroyed. 

Begins to sob, few tears, because can hardly make tears. 

Is broken. 

Is damaged. 

Is never going to see Joe again, realizes, because Joe died. 

Joe died. 

Screams, a choked and gargled non-human sound. Slams body against bars. Hands sign no over and over and over. 

Was trying to forget. 

WAS TRYING TO FORGET!!

The supervisor stares at, before unlocking inner door and stepping inside. Grabs by shoulders and pulls close. 

They whisper name over and over. 

They step back and leave cell. 

Touches face. Isn't sure why was crying, so smiles. 

Signs that hopes Joe comes tomorrow. 

They smile and nod, and say that they're sure he'll be able to. 

Grins and waves as they leave, then wipes eyes. 

Doesn't remember why was crying. 

Doesn't really want to remember, so pushes memory away. 

Turns, finds camera with eyes. Stares into camera again. Likes staring into camera. Gives sense of control. 

Thought that already. 

Knows is forgetting something important, but isn't sure what. Isn't sure why is forgetting. Doesn't like forgetting at all. 

But knows that if is forgetting something, there's a reason is forgetting. 

Sniffs and wipes eyes. 

Pushes memory of crying away. 

Blinks, and then continues to stare at camera. Isn't sure how much time passes, but knows is a lot before moves again. 

Signs things to self, mouthing words, pacing back and forth while staring at hands. 

Is certain that Joe will be able to visit tomorrow. 

Why would Joe not visit, after all?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy Hurley says hello. A coherent plot begins.

Josh slowly opens the door to Tyler's room. He knows he is not supposed to be in there, but he goes in anyways. 

Tyler is sitting in his usual corner, but his posture is much more relaxed. His eyes are open, and he watches Josh with quiet intensity. 

“Hey.” Josh says, walking up to the bars. 

Tyler nods. His staring is starting to unnerve Josh. 

“Look, I, um, wanted to apologize. I just didn't want to you be uncomfortable.” Josh twists his fingers into the hem of his shirt. 

“It's fine.”

Josh, in any other circumstance, would not have been surprised by Tyler’s voice, as he had heard it before. But Tyler was talking to him. His file said that he did not talk to anyone but Mark. 

“I like your hair.” Tyler averts his eyes downwards. 

“Thanks.” Josh is not really sure what to say. 

Tyler stands up and braces himself against the wall, looking everywhere but at Josh's eyes. “It's okay, you know. You didn't know.”

“Oh.” Josh swallows, and shuffles his feet slightly.

Tyler pushes himself off the wall and walks over to the bars. He is walking like it is difficult, like he does not want to but knows he has to. 

He reaches through the bars and links his hand with Josh's. Josh looks down, then back at Tyler, who still will not meet his eyes. 

“Thanks. For coming to see me.” Tyler smiles slightly. “Even though you might get in trouble.”

“Yeah.” Josh never wants to let go of Tyler's hand. 

But Tyler lets go, and then steps back. 

“See you?”

Tyler makes a noise in the affirmative. 

Josh turns and leaves, taking a peek in the room before the door shuts. 

Tyler is climbing into his bed.

* * *

“Andy Hurley. Wing F.”

“Huh?” Josh is snapped out of his thoughts to by the sound of a voice beside him. 

Someone about his height, maybe shorter, in sunglasses even though xe are indoors is standing beside him. “I'm Andy Hurley. Friend of Pete Wentz, you know them. I want to talk to you.”

“Oh. Okay.” Josh smiles, mostly nervously. “What's up?”

“Max and Hoodie, the two guys who work in surveillance.” Andy gestures to two people talking to someone Josh does not know. Their hands are linked. “Do you know them?”

“No. I'm not one for socializing.” Josh feels dread well up in his chest. 

“Well, they told me that they saw you go into Tyler's room today.” Josh can feel his face pale as Andy speaks. He knew about the cameras, but had not been thinking about them at that time. 

“Hey, dude, you're not in trouble, don't worry.” Andy’s hand lands on Josh's shoulder. “They can let it go this time, but not the next. Be careful, alright?”

Josh nods. “Are they the only surveillance guys?”

“No. A couple of brothers take over at seven, I think their last name is Way? I don't see them much.” Andy shrugs, hand falling back to xer side. “I don't think I caught your name. Max just pointed you out as the guy with the rainbow hair.”

“Josh Dun. Wing D.”

“D is for Dun.” Andy seems slightly amused with xemself. “You got transferred there from A, correct?”

Josh nods in affirmation. 

“D is better than F. I worked there first as a supervisor, then got transferred because they thought I could deal with the…” Andy seems uncomfortable. “Well, they were referred to as… A slur. You know the one I'm talking about.”

Josh nods again. 

“Which is weird, because only a few were actually… Anyways, they thought I'd be better because I'm intimidating, which is just a look, because Hoodie called me a cinnamon roll one time.”

Josh raises a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughs. 

“Hey!” Andy gently swats him on the arm. “Do not laugh. I am not a cinnamon roll. Don't eat me.”

“Okay.” Josh grins behind his hand. 

“Anyways.” Xe can not help a smile. “It's kinda weird over there, to be honest. Most of them just seem so… Normal. Like they shouldn't be there. Although, there are about three who are… Violent. Toward others or themselves.”

Josh nods. “I heard they were moving Blurry there.”

“Blurry? Oh, you mean… Yeah. The first Joseph kid. His twin is the guy you were seeing, right?”

“Yeah.”

“They got in a few weeks after I was transferred.” Josh can not see Andy's eyes, but they seem to be searching the crowd of people. “Those red eyes freak me out. I hung out in surveillance a lot when Blurry was first here. He screamed and strained up against his straps and pleaded with things that we couldn't see.” A shudder runs through xer body. “Some of it was… Disturbing, to say the least.”

“He's a murderer.” Josh says without thinking. 

Andy shoots him a look. “True, but there's more to him than just that. I think, however, that we can agree he's a bad person.”

Josh nods in agreement. “He knows my name. I don't know how.”

Andy sighs. “What do you know about Tyler?”

* * *

“Hey Dustin. I'm back.” Josh stumbles into his shared apartment, exhaustion weighing at his very being. 

“How was work? I saved you some pizza.” Dustin’s head pokes out of the kitchen. 

“Work was interesting.” Josh drags himself into the kitchen and leans against the counter, grabbing a slice of pizza.

“They're all identical. I checked.” 

“Good. I won't have to kill you because you got more pizza than me today.” Josh grabs a slice and stares at it, unsure if he can eat. 

“Can you define interesting?” Dustin watches him with curious eyes. 

“Um, well, they want me to try taking this guy home, see if he can work in society. Just for a week.” Josh forces himself to take a bite. 

“As long as he stays in your room.” Dustin shrugs, turning and opening the refrigerator. “Want a drink? We have redbull.”

Josh swallows. “That has caffeine. I want to sleep tonight.” 

Dustin laughs. “I don't.” He pulls out a can and pops it open. “Hey, what's this guy's name, anyways?”

Josh took that moment to take a huge bite of pizza. After he swallows, he takes a second to speak. “Tyler. Tyler Joseph.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request-a-POV!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt Josh and Tyler to bring you a happy poly relationship. 
> 
> Also, the overall summary has been updated, as this story now has a tentative direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosarah15 and hypocriticalparadox requested Jack's POV.

Jack spins, around and around and around before falling back onto his bed and watching the ceiling spin. 

He’s getting out today!

He didn't really know why he was here in the first place, but he had been here for years and years and years and now he was getting out!

He’s so excited he might be able to fly. 

In fact, as soon as the room stops spinning he gets up on his bed and jumps off, flapping his arms as if he has wings. 

He doesn't fly, just lands a bit hard on his feet and falls. 

He's stunned for a moment, before he starts laughing. 

He's getting out today!

He's wanted to get out for years. 

His supervisor said he'd be released at noon, and he already had a clock in his room. It was eleven now. Just an hour. Just an hour!

He’s trying to be patient, but it was _hard_ when he hadn't seen his boyfriends except through bars for ten years. 

Ten years!

They still love him after ten years. 

He feels ecstatic. 

He didn't know what to do to pass the time, he'd already taken a shower and was in new clothes. Short sleeves for the first time in years, sleeves that exposed the scars running across the veins on his inner forearm. 

He is getting out, he is getting out, he is getting out!

He wants to try flying again, but he knew that that would probably just end up with him on the floor again. 

He was still on the floor. 

He sat up, then jumped to his feet, a grin splitting his face. 

He couldn't wait!

Time passes slowly, and Jack becomes more and more antsy, spinning around the room, pacing, and sometimes staring at the clock with a grin on his face. 

He’s going home!

He really can't believe that he's going home. He thought he'd be here forever. But he won't be. He’ll get to go out and do interesting things and be with his boyfriends again and maybe even see the world. 

He didn't think he could wait, but he somehow managed. 

At exactly twelve, the outer door opens and in steps his supervisor. 

“I'm getting out, right, right?” Jack walks up to the bars. 

“Yes, you are.” They seem amused as they unlock the inner door. “Stay with me, don't run ahead.”

Jack follows obediently behind them, unable to keep the bounce out of his step. He sees rainbow hair exiting a room and waves. “Hi!”

Rainbow hair smiles and waves back. “Good luck, Jack.”

Jack grins wide and turns his attention back to following his supervisor. 

In the lobby there's a man with glasses and bright red dyed hair waiting in a chair, leg bouncing. He stands up as soon as he sees Jack. 

“You can go.” Jack’s supervisor says, and then Jack is running over and being lifted up and spun around. 

“Mark!” Jack laughs, wrapping his arms tightly around one of his boyfriends. 

“It's so good to see you!” Mark plants a kiss on Jack’s cheek before grinning almost as wide as Jack is. 

“You too!” Jack feels tears well up in his eyes, and after he's set down, he wipes them away

“Okay, lovebirds.” Jack’s supervisor smiles at them. “My name’s Frank. You guys just have to sign some paperwork, and then Jack can go home.”

Jack bounces behind Mark while he signs some forms, shaking the pen from time to time when he thinks. Eventually papers are passed to Jack and he reads over them with an almost terrifying concentration, looking for anything that might mean he’d get sent back without any prior notice, or even with that. He wants to be free.

After his signature is on every line it needed to be, Jack pushed the forms back to Frank. “Good?”

Frank smiles. “Good. You can go home now.”

Jack grins wider than he ever thought possible. 

Mark grabs Jack’s hand and pulls him out of the building and to a small red car, new since Jack had been imprisoned. There’s a blond haired man sitting in the back, messing around on his phone. He looks up as one of the back doors opened. 

“Felix!” Jack cries before throwing himself into the back and tackling his other boyfriend. 

“Jack!” Felix still hasn't lost his accent through all the years of staying in America. “It's so good to see you!”

“You too!”

The two cling to each other until Mark clears his throat. “Okay, you two, we gotta leave, and I don't want either of you to die because you don't have your seat belts on.”

“Okay.” Jack and Felix reluctantly let go of each other, sitting in their respective seats. After their seatbelts are pulled across their bodies, their hands find each other. 

“I knew you two were more in love with each other than with me.” Mark pouts and makes exaggerated puppy dog eyes, which sends Jack into a fit of laughter. 

“Listen.” Felix pauses for dramatic effect. “We are a happy poly family and there will be no jealousy here without communication. You understand?”

“Yes, dad.” Mark says, and Jack starts laughing again. 

Felix looks shocked. “Do not date your father, Mark Edward Fischbach.”

“Don't tell me what to do, Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg.” Mark responds. 

The conversation has a background of Jack’s hysterical laughter. 

“Wow, not bad at the pronunciation.” Felix says, before looking over at Jack. “Are you okay?”

Jack gasps in a breath, wipes at his eyes, and then starts laughing again. 

“Since we're using full names.” Mark takes a deep breath. “Sean William McLoughlin, shut your damn mouth.”

Jack stops laughing for a moment, before he starts again with huge gasps of breath. 

“Mark, you're going to kill him!”

“It's not my fault!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for a great round of request-a-POV! All those requested I'll get to, I promise. Just some sooner than others.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deleted the chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now it's back.
> 
> saratza requested Gerard and Mikey's POV.

Gerard pushes open the door to the camera office, sipping something out of a travel mug. “Hoodie. Max.”

Hoodie spins around in his chair. “Yo.”

“Mikes is right behind me. You guys can go.” Gerard takes another sip. 

“Right.” Hoodie stands up and taps Max on the shoulder, signing something quick as soon as Max looks at him. Gerard doesn't know what it is, they've never been good at sign language. 

Max smiles and waves as Hoodie drags him out of the office. Gerard waves back before taking the chair Max had been in. 

“Ey.” Mikey shuts the door behind him after he enters. 

“Yo.” Gerard's already watching the cameras with a hawk-like gaze, sipping out of their cup. 

Mikey wipes his mouth with the back of his hand before sitting down, spinning around in the chair a couple times before turning his attention to the cameras. 

There are several in the room where all the other employees are, and Gerard has most of their gaze focused on those. Pixel people are trickling into the room, while others wander the hallways. 

Gerard swings their gaze to Camera cluster D-14. “Does he even sleep, or does he just stare at the cameras all day?”

“Dunno.” Mikey answers before his gaze flicks to the camera. 

Gerard takes a long sip from their cup. 

The two brothers work side by side in silence, no sound in the room except for the clack of keyboard keys as one or the other write down their observations of the inmates. 

It was tedious work, but the brothers had been doing it ever since the facility opened 20 years ago. The day shift camera operators were hired and fired on a regular basis, but the two brothers were a constant in the constant shifting of the workers in the facility. 

“D-2.” Mikey said, cracking the silence but not completely shattering it. 

The two turn their attention to that cluster. 

An employee with rainbow hair stands in the room, thankfully outside of the bars. 

“Time?”

“Nine oh two.”

“File?”

Gerard turns and pulls open a file cabinet, pulling out a folder after a quick scan. “Number 2-5-3-7. Joshua William Dun.”

“Inmate?”

Gerard pushes themself off one file cabinet and flies across the room in their chair to another, opening the lowest drawer and pulling out a file. “Inmate 5-2-8.”

“Condition?”

“Shows extreme signs of withdrawal from Powder 17.”

“So that's what they had him on.” Mikey clicks a few things on a laptop and one of the cameras in the cluster zooms in. “Must've been a high dosage.”

Gerard turns a page and sucks in a breath. “Level ten exposure.”

“Holy shit.” Mikey breathes, leaning in to see the camera better. “He's gagged.”

“Day shift probably knows why.” Gerard puts the file back and glides back to their spot. “Want to make a report?”

“Nah.” Mikey zooms back out. “He's obviously got a reason for being in there.”

“He should be home.” Gerard comments, and then the silence mends itself again. 

The lights darken around ten, but Joshua is still there. He's no longer in 5-2-8’s room, and has moved to 5-2-9’s. The two seemed to be talking. 

Gerard grabbed a pair of headphones and shoved them onto their ears. 

“What are you doing?” Mikey hissed. 

Gerard tuned the headphones to room D-2. 

“-I mean, um, I don't know how well that'll work, I've got a roommate and no spare room, but…”

“It's fine.”

Gerard chokes on air. Was that Tyler's _voice?_ it was nothing like his twin brother’s. 

“I should go now, it's really late, my roommate is probably worried about where I am because I'm usually home now…”

“Okay.” Tyler's quiet voice.

Then it’s silent. 

Gerard takes off the headphones and put them away. 

“You know, if we weren't going to make a report, we have to now.” Mikey says dryly. 

“Write that the patient appeared to be having a breakdown.”

Mikey nods and began typing quickly. 

Hours pass, and it’s nearing three in the morning when Gerard makes a gesture towards one of the cameras. “New arrival.”

The lights are dim as two people drag another through the hallways. The person dragged seems to have their ankles chained together, as well as their hands. 

As their face caught the light, Gerard makes out pale skin, wild blue eyes, black hair, and a set smile. 

“Shit, is he?” Mikey very intently watches the figure pass. 

“No.” Gerard crosses their arms and leans back in their chair. “Definitely not. The eyes.”

“Right.” Mikey's expression falls back into one of neutrality. 

Gerard watches as the arrival is shoved into the cell that 3-0-5 left earlier that day. They're pushed over to the bed and shoved down on it, chains on their wrists taken off before their arms are strapped down. 

Gerard turns their attention away as the rest of the straps are put into place. “Well. Day shift will get the file.”

“Yeah.” Mikey's quiet. 

“And they'll figure out what powder to put them on.” Gerard watches the A wing cameras. 

“Mm.” Mikey’s watching the new arrival. 

It's silent again. 

They don't need to talk much, usually relying on sibling-sense to tell each other when something is needed. Sometimes Gerard goes and gets a file to hand to Mikey without either saying a word, sometimes Mikey points out something on a camera for Gerard to write down. 

It works, and that's the important part. Mikey thinks Hoodie and Max have the same sort of method, because they're the day shift that's been around for the longest time. Almost 6 months by now. 

When five AM rolls around, Hoodie and Max enter the room. 

“Hey. New arrival.” Mikey clocks out of his laptop. Gerard finishes typing before doing the same. 

“Got it.” Hoodie nods before signing to Max. 

Gerard grabs their mug before standing up. “Let's get home.”

They disappear out of the room, leaving Hoodie and Max to sit down and get ready for day shift. 

“Sunburn?” Someone jokes as Gerard pulls on a hat that covers most of their face in shadow. 

Gerard grins. “Something like that.”

Mikey rolls his eyes and grabs Gerard's arm with a gloved hand before pulling them out into the dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still feel stupid about this one. Ah well. Don't need to go where this was setting up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited back in the last chapter if u wanna read it

“Your name is Phil, right?”

Josh pushes the plate of food through the slot in the bars. 

“Yes.” Cool blue eyes are trained on him. 

Josh is slightly unnerved. “You're new.”

“Yes, I am.” Phil’s head isn't strapped down. 

“Don't worry, you'll be free from those in about an hour.” Josh runs his fingers through the red section of his hair, then the orange, then the yellow, then the green, then the blue, then the purple. 

Phil blinks slowly at him. “That would be nice. Being free.”

Josh is definitely unnerved. He repeats the running fingers through his hair process. 

“I have to go.” He says. 

Phil nods, then smiles. “See you later.”

Josh backs out of the room. 

He is still thinking over his conversations with Blurry and Tyler last night. He knows he has been seen by the cameras, knows that he could get in serious trouble, but he needed to talk to Tyler especially. 

And Blurry…

He does not want to think about what Blurry looked like, sounded like, acted like. 

He is glad he can take Tyler to his house soon. Tyler does not seem like he belonged trapped in a cell with nothing to stimulate his mind. Tyler seemed very smart and creative, just a little…

Josh does not know what else, but there is something that he can not find the word for in the moment.

A part of Josh wishes that he was helping Blurry integrate back into the world instead. Both of the twins need that opportunity. 

Lynn is still ghost-like, still asking why Ashley was not there. It gives Josh chills. He wants to ask the Overseer if he can go back to Tyler, but also knows that that would be a bad idea. The Overseer is very strict about rule breaking. Consequences are final. It is a miracle that he is going to be the one to help Tyler integrate back into the outside world. 

Josh very distractedly walks into Blurry's room. 

Blurry is no longer strapped down, but he is still lying on his bed, he is still shivering, he is still showing the signs of withdrawal that scared Josh down to his core. 

As Josh crouches down to slide the food through, Blurry jerks violently before saying “Do you see them, Josh?”

Josh lies. “Yes.”

“Do… Do they hate you too? They're watching me, Josh, it's… It's…” Blurry loses his words through heaving breaths. 

“You should eat and drink.” Josh says, standing back up. 

“Will that make them leave me alone?” Blurry sits up slowly. 

“Yes.” Josh does not know if that is the truth or not. 

Blurry closes his eyes. “Then I will.”

Josh begins to back toward the door. 

“Josh?”

He stops when Blurry speaks. 

“Don't… Don't let me be.”

“I won't.” Josh promises, and then leaves the room. 

At 8:30 he opens the door to Brendon’s room. 

Brendon is running up to the wall, jumping, then kicking off of it. He seems to have more energy than his body can contain, as evidenced by the fact that he is never still. Some part of him is always moving. 

Ashley likes to joke that if they hooked him up with a power cable, they would be able to power the whole building. Ashley used to have Brendon, before she tried to bring him out to the generator and hook him up. 

Josh is surprised she is still working here. 

“Hey, hi!” Brendon stops jumping off the wall and bounces over to the bars. 

Josh kneels down and slides the food through. 

Brendon continues bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Hey, hey. Hey, you know Ryan, Ryan Ross? My best friend friend? Well, well, he hasn't come to to see me me me in, like, a few weeks? And he he usually comes every every week…”

Brendon had a nervous habit of repeating words. 

“Do do you know if if he's okay?” Worry is written all over Brendon’s face. 

“I don’t.” Josh hates having to say it. “I'm sorry.”

Brendon's face falls. “Thank thank you.”

He sits down, and then does not move. 

Josh backs out of the room hating himself.

* * *

“You're looking even more down than usual. What's up.” Andy leans against the wall beside Josh. 

“Had to tell Brendon I hadn’t heard from Ryan.” He winces at the contraction. Stuff is really bothering him today. “He was really upset.”

“Like, stop moving upset?” Andy asks. 

Josh nods. 

“Man.” Andy runs a hand through xer hair. “I think that's the second time he's ever done that.”

Josh taps his hand against his legs and counts one two three, one two three. “I think he really looks up to this Ryan Ross.”

“Yeah.” Andy agrees. 

Josh is not really in the mood for talking, so he stares at the floor. Andy does not seem like a very talkative person either. It is comforting, though, to have someone else just… There. 

“You've been doing a great job here.” Andy starts. 

Josh cuts xem off. “Do not. Do not use contractions, please, I can not handle it right now.”

Xe raise xer eyebrows, but do not question it. “Okay. You have been doing a great job, Josh. Hoodie told me, and he is very reliable with this sort of thing.”

Josh's tension relaxes slightly, some of it melting away. He is mostly just tired, he realizes. 

“I think I am going to go home.” Josh says. 

“See you.” Andy says. 

“Thanks.” Josh is not entirely sure what he is thanking xem for, but he is pretty sure that it is for understanding and not asking questions. 

“Do not mention it.” Andy waves. “Make sure to get a good night's sleep. You are going to need it for tomorrow.”

Josh nods and leaves, only questioning how Andy knew that he needed to sleep and that he would need it for tomorrow, when he was taking Tyler home, when he was already driving home and it was too late to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This can end two ways: good or bad.


End file.
